The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 334

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REGENERATION

294 Of

course, a child

ence, nor of the

first

knows nothing period of his

own existfrom his own observation. If own recollections, he would beof the genesis of his

life,

he were to tell his history from his gin with the time that he sat in his high chair, and proceed until But, being informed by othas a man he went out into the world. back his recollections and speaks he goes of ers of his antecedents,

how he grew up, Hence there is The same difference we observe in the subject before us. Formerly it was customary, after the manner of Romish scholastics, to describe one's experience from one's own recollections. Being personally ignorant of the implanting of the new life, and remembering only the great spiritual disturbance, which led one to faith and repentance, it was natural to date the beginning of the work of grace not from regeneration, but from the conviction of sin and faith, thence proceeding to sanctification, and so on. But this subjective representation, more or less incomplete, can not satisfy us now. It was to be expected that the supporters of " free will " would abuse it, by inferring that the origin and first A activities of the work of salvation spring from man himself. sinner, hearing the Word, is deeply impressed; persuaded by its threats and promises, he repents, arises, and accepts the Savior. Hence there is nothing more than a mere moral persuasion, obscurof his parents, family, time,

and place

of birth,

quite a difference between the two accounts.

etc.

ing the glorious origin of the

new

life.

To

resist this repulsive

deforming of the truth, Maccovius, already in the days of the Synod of Dort, abandoned this more or less critical method to make regeneration the starting-point.

He

followed this order

" :

Knowl-

redemption in Christ, regeneration, and only then faith." And this was consistent with the development of the Reformed docFor as soon as the subjective method was abandoned, it betrine. came necessary in answer to the question, " What has God wrought

edge of

sin,

in the soul?" to return to ih.Q first implanting

became evident that

God

of life.

And

then

it

did not begin by leading the sinner to re-

pentance, for repentance must be preceded by conviction of sin nor by bringing him under the hearing of the word, for this requires an opened ear.

cooperative act of

man is

planting in him the

man

Hence the first

first conscious

and comparatively

zX^a^y^ preceded by the original act of God,

principle of a

new

life,

under which act

is wholly passive and This led to the distinction of ih& first and second grace.

unconscious.

The

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